Primary Menu

2016 Political Dictionary

It’s easy to get sick of politics and just tune out of this seemingly never ending election. However if you’re with a group of people talking about current events you should still be able to contribute and follow along. Here’s a quick guide to some of the buzz words that you’ll hear a lot of.

GOP: Grand Old Party, a nickname for the Republican Party.

Used in a sentence: “This will be the death of the GOP.”

Xenophobia: intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Used in a sentence: “He’s relying on the xenophobia the older generation similar to the Brexit movement in the UK.”

Isolationist: a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.

Used in a sentence: “In this global economy it’s impossible to sustain isolationist ideals.”

Privilege: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.

Used in a sentence: “Voting for a 3rd party candidate is a privilege of the white middle class who won’t have to deal with the consequences of a Trump presidency.”

Demagogue: a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.

Used in a sentence: “Republicans have been fooled and taken over by a demagogue.”

Systemic Racism: racism that shows up in our lives across institutions and society such as employment, housing discrimination, government surveillance, incarceration, and drug arrests.

Used in a sentence: “We must work to change the systemic racism of our judicial system.”

Swing State: a US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election. Examples include Florida, Virginia, and Ohio.

Used in a sentence: “Ohio is a must win swing state for any presidential candidate.”

TPP: The Trans Pacific Partnership is a 12-nation free trade agreement negotiated by the Obama administration. It’s designed to wipe out tariffs with member nations.

Used in a sentence: “Many of Bernie’s strongest supporters are making the TPP their biggest priority.”